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News :: Media |
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Our Old Friend Sinclair Is At It Again... |
Current rating: 18 |
by Reuters via Michael Feltes
Email: mfeltes (nospam) shimer.edu (verified) |
29 Apr 2004
Modified: 10:52:35 PM |
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Sinclair Broadcasting Group, which owns NBC affiliates WICS and WICD in Springfield and Champaign, respectively, will not allow tomorrow's edition of Nightline featuring the names and photographs of American soldiers killed in Iraq to be broadcast on their ABC affiliates. |
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=4993863
The attitude expressed by Sinclair could be paraphrased as follows: "Let's remember the past, but not too much of it, and nothing that might go against our own way of looking at the world."
Paul Riismandel has been keeping an eye on Sinclair for the past few years. Here's one of his stories from October 2002:
http://www.mediageek.org/archives/001923.html |
This work is in the public domain |
Comments
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Ironically Enough |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
30 Apr 2004
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WICD Ch. 15 is currently broadcasting NBC. Supposedly, tonight was to be the last date that WICD will be doing NBC before it switches over to ABC. Then WAND Ch. 17 will be leaving ABC and switching to NBC. The News-Gazette reported this some time back, but there has been no further word on whether this swap will go through as schduled on May 1.
So, as it turns out, Sinclair will just miss it's opportunity to keep local viewers from seeing the toll that the war in Iraq has on Americans, never mind the Iraqi dead and woundeed, of course. Mark Hyman, Sinclair's CIA man of many (rightwing) opinions, is probably sorely disappointed. Tune in to WAND tonight one last time tonight, if you're an ABC fan, before the forces of Sinclair censorship take over. |
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Re: Our Old Friend Sinclair Is At It Again... |
by Paul Riismandel
paul (nospam) mediageek.org (unverified) |
Current rating: 0
30 Apr 2004
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My info says that the NBC->ABC switch isn't supposed to happen until 2005 -- affiliate contracts are complex beasts.
We should have more on this on the radio show, tonight at 5:30 PM on WEFT 90.1 FM |
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Argghh! |
by ML
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
30 Apr 2004
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Another year of Mark Hyman blathering on with his propaganda spiel as my set warms up for Saturday Noght Live -- the ONLY 90 minutes I watch TV in a week -- I don't know if I can take that.
Paul,
Do you have the link to the expose' that was written about Hyman's intel/CIA links? I couldn't find it. |
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Sinclair Stations to Boycott 'Nightline' Tribute |
by Steve Gorman repost
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
30 Apr 2004
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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - A major television chain, the Sinclair Broadcast Group, will bar its ABC-affiliated stations from airing a planned "Nightline" tribute to fallen U.S. troops in Iraq, saying the program is a political statement disguised as news.
ABC News plans to devote Friday's entire "Nightline" segment to the tribute, with anchor Ted Koppel reading aloud the names of hundreds of fallen American servicemen and women as their photographs are shown.
The network's intentions drew a denunciation from Sinclair, a Baltimore-based owner of 62 television stations in 39 markets reaching roughly 24 percent of U.S. television households.
Sinclair said the "Nightline" segment "appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq."
In a statement posted on its Web site, the broadcast group accused Koppel and his show of seeking to "highlight only one aspect of the war effort and in doing so to influence public opinion against the military action in Iraq."
An ABC News spokeswoman said Sinclair's decision to preempt Friday's "Nightline" on its stations would remove the program in at least seven markets -- St. Louis, Missouri; Columbus, Ohio; Charleston, West Virginia; Pensacola, Florida; Springfield, Massachusetts and Asheville and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Sticking to its plans, ABC News issued its own statement defending the planned broadcast as "an expression of respect which simply seeks to honor those who have laid down their lives for this country."
In an interview with Internet media report Poynteronline, Koppel himself rejected the notion that he was out to make a political point.
"Just look at these people. Look at their names. And look at their ages. Consider what they've done for you. Honor them," Koppel said. "I truly believe that people will take away from this program the reflection of what they bring to it."
Sinclair's boycott drew a sharp rebuke from U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a New York Democrat and leading congressional critic of newly relaxed media ownership regulations adopted last year by the Federal Communications Commission.
"The decision by Sinclair ... to keep this program off its stations is being made by a corporation with a political agenda without regard to the wants or needs of its viewers," Hinchey said. "This move may be providing a chilling look into the future if we allow media ownership to be consolidated into fewer and fewer hands."
The Washington-based liberal think tank the Center for American Progress cited campaign contribution reports showing Sinclair executives have donated more than $130,000 to President Bush and his political allies since 2000.
The network initially said the 30-minute telecast would be limited acknowledging only the 523 U.S. troops killed in combat since the start of the war in March 2003. But on Thursday, ABC said it would expand the program to 40 minutes to include another 200 or more Americans who died as a result of accidents, friendly fire or suicide.
ABC is a unit of the Walt Disney Co.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=entertainmentNews&storyID=4993863 |
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Re: Our Old Friend Sinclair Is At It Again... |
by gehrig
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 8
30 Apr 2004
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Two ironies on the timing; one is that the WWII memorial opened yesterday on the Capitol Mall, commemorating the dead of a different war. Why is honoring the dead of WWII patriotic, but honoring the dead of the George Bush War _unpatriotic_ and "a political statement"?
Secondly, tomorrow is the anniversary of George Bush's infamous choreographed photo-op on board the Lincoln, with the White-House-provided "Mission Accomplished" banner lined up just right for the TV cameras.
No comment necessary on that one.
@%< |
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'Nightline' War Dead List Causes Uproar |
by AP
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 5
30 Apr 2004
|
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Criticism of a TV station group's refusal to air a ``Nightline'' recitation of America's war dead in Iraq swelled Friday with Sen. John McCain, soldiers' relatives and media watchdogs speaking out.
McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, sent a strongly worded letter to Sinclair Broadcast Group about its decision to pull Friday's ``Nightline'' from seven stations throughout the country.
``There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq,'' the Arizona Republican said in the letter Friday.
In a 40-minute broadcast, ABC News anchorman Ted Koppel was to read aloud the name of a U.S. service man or woman killed in the Iraq war as their photo appeared on the screen along with their name, military branch, rank and age. ``Nightline'' planned to include more than 500 killed in action in Iraq since March 19, 2003, as well as more than 200 non-combat deaths.
Military Families Speak Out, whose anti-war members have relatives or loved ones in the military, condemned Sinclair's decision, saying it was ``dishonoring our troops and their families.''
The group's Web site posted one member's letter of opposition.
``The Sinclair Broadcast group is trying to undermine the lives of our soldiers killed in Iraq. By censoring `Nightline' they want to hide the toll the war on Iraq is having on thousands of soldiers and their families, like mine,'' wrote Jane Bright of West Hills, Calif. (Her son, Sgt. Evan Ashcraft, was killed in July near Mosul, Iraq.)
``We should be honoring all the men and women who have served,'' said Ivan Medina, 22, of Hinesville, Ga., who was with the Army in Iraq and whose twin brother, Irving, died there. ``My hat goes off to `Nightline.'''
Free Press, which describes itself as a national media reform group, sent its own letter to Sinclair questioning whether the company's actions violated federal rules governing ``stewardship of the public airwaves.''
The letter, signed by Free Press managing director Josh Silver, said the group intended to encourage viewers served by Sinclair stations to weigh in when TV license renewal hearings are held.
Robert McChesney, the organization's president, called Sinclair's motives into question.
``No one thinks for a second this decision has anything to do with journalism,'' McChesney said. ``It's a politics-slash-business decision that Sinclair made because they don't want to (anger) the White House.''
Sinclair, a political supporter of the Bush administration, is trying to curry favor with the White House to bolster chances of gaining changes in station ownership rules, McChesney alleged.
``The stench of corruption here is extraordinary,'' he said.
White House spokesman Scott McClellan said Friday: ``I don't think we decide you all's coverage. I think we should always remember and honor all those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedoms.''
Maryland-based Sinclair, whose holdings include 62 TV stations, made $65,434 in 2004 political donations -- 98 percent of that to Republicans and 2 percent to Democrats -- according to the Web site opensecrets.org, which tracks contributions.
Sinclair announced Thursday it would pre-empt ``Nightline'' on its ABC affiliates, including stations in Columbus, Ohio, and St. Louis, Mo. It said the program ``appears to be motivated by a political agenda designed to undermine the efforts of the United States in Iraq.''
Calling the broadcast a political statement ``disguised as news content,'' Sinclair pointed to the producers' omission of ``the names of thousands of private citizens killed in terrorist attacks'' since 9-11.
WTXL-TV, the Tallahassee, Fla., ABC affiliate that has an agreement to share resources with Sinclair but controls its own programming, planned to air Friday's ``Nightline.''
Early reports had wrongly included the Media Venture Management-owned station among those dropping the show. That prompted a flood of correspondence, said WTXL station manager Mike Plummer.
``The overwhelming response has been people want it,'' he said Friday.
ABC noted its news division had reported ``hundreds of stories on 9-11'' while adding that, on the first anniversary of that tragedy, it aired the victims' names.
Still, some observers questioned ABC's motives.
Brent Bozell, president of the Media Research Center, derided what he called the program's ``partisan nature,'' saying it's one goal was ``to turn public opinion against the war.''
Copyright 2004 The Associated Press |
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Go Ted! |
by babs
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 10
01 May 2004
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An interview with the man himself:
http://www.cnn.com/2004/SHOWBIZ/TV/04/30/koppel/index.html
Sen. John McCain is also fired up about Sinclair's decision:
" "There is no valid reason for Sinclair to shirk its responsibility in what I assume is a very misguided attempt to prevent your viewers from completely appreciating the extraordinary sacrifices made on their behalf by Americans serving in Iraq," the Arizona Republican said in the letter Friday. "
from this article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58668-2004May1.html |
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Re: Our Old Friend Sinclair Is At It Again... |
by RR
(No verified email address) |
Current rating: 0
01 May 2004
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Nightline answered the question "Why don't they show the dead soliders from Afganastan?" There's not enought time. They said they only had time to show the US soliders killed in combat in Iraq. They did not have time to show those killed in accidents or who have committed suicide. |
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